The Azure Sky's Tears
by Maximus-Germaine
Summary: Rating may vary in continuing chapters. This is actually DramaActionRomance. Balmung is framed for killing Orca in the real world and on the World. He now makes a new character to try and unravel the mystery.
1. Reunions and Dreams

Warning: This fan fiction includes heavy violence, language, insanity, horror, and angst. This is a very dark fan fiction, so be alarmed you may...cry and stuff oo on with the story. I don't know Balmung's real name, so I'm going with Katsuya. .! Sorry!  
  
AN: I do not own .hack the video game or any characters involved with the game.  
  
Chapter 1: Reunions and Dreams  
  
Balmung landed softly on the edge of the cliff, wind whipping through his ivory hair as his eyes (AN: I forgot what color they are) gazed out at the beautiful area. He could not help but admire the pure tranquility of the area, and he wished he could stand on this cliff for hours and just admire the view, but he had maintenance to accomplish.  
  
"Everything seems to be in order," Balmung muttered in a quiet, calm voice as always. He remembered when he used to be a regular player on "The World." He very much missed those days of not being able to defeat every single monster in the World. Now, however, he knew no monster could be stronger than an Operator.  
  
"I knew I would find you here," A familiar voice called out to him as Balmung slowly turned, his wings stretching out slightly as if in welcome as he smiled at his old friend Orca.  
  
"Just admiring the view, but what do you wish of me Orca?" Balmung said, his wings folding behind his back again as he folded his arms across his armored chest, eyes studying quizzically at Lord Orca.  
  
Orca stood there a moment, a warm smile creeping across his face. He had not seen Balmung in several months now, and he had not changed a bit. Orca had to stay in the hospital from his recent recovery of the coma. Security was very tight on the World now, but everything seemed to be normal. Balmung always thought Orca wanted to discuss business with him.  
  
"Admiring the view? I'm not buying. You're doing maintenance again aren't you?" Orca said, also folding his tanned, muscular arms across his tattooed chest.  
  
Balmung sighed, knowing he could not hide the truth from his best friend and turned back to look out across the area, "I detected a small glitch in this area. I corrected it and-"He was interrupted quickly by a loud laugh from Orca. He turned around and looked rather annoyed.  
  
"Balmung, would you just calm down? There will always be glitches in the World, but we cannot waste our time dealing with each and every one," Orca said, and sighed a bit in silent disappointment, "This...is why I quit being an Operator."  
  
"Orca...I," But Balmung could not finish as Orca suddenly logged out. The powerful warrior knew he was being too careful, too ignorant of his friends. He had never had friends before, even in the real world he was quite the workaholic. He released an exasperated sigh, stretching his wings again before warping out of the area.  
  
**Come with me..  
**  
Why?  
  
**You belong to me. You always have.  
**  
I belong to no one.  
  
**She's very beautiful, isn't she?  
**  
-Silence-  
  
**She will never love you.  
**  
Katsuya's eyes flew open and he sat up quickly in his bed. He ran a hand through his messy dark brown hair and searched his night stand for his glasses. He managed to find them, and his Tokyo Apartment came into full view.  
  
It was a small, dismal apartment, and very messy. He had just graduated from the University of Kyoto, and had set out to Tokyo to become a game designer. Katsuya recently acquired a job at CC Corporation as a Server Operator. The pay was alright, and it kept food on the table.  
  
Katsuya stared at his terminal where he would always "play" the World. Play, yeah right, he thought and sat up, walking over to the terminal. He sat down and turned on his computer and noticed he had mail from two people in the World.  
  
You have 2 unread messages  
  
Katsuya read the first that popped up, which was from Orca.  
  
"Hey, I'm sorry about leaving suddenly. But you've gotta realize there's more to this game than maintenance. Operators play the game too. Hell, I used to play all the time instead of doing my job. CC Corp. doesn't really care as long as nothing serious happens." The message said and Katsuya smiled a bit.  
  
Katsuya opened the second message and the picture was very glitchy and a robotic voice rang through his ears. The voice was familiar, like an old memory played back over in his head.  
  
**You belong to me.**  
  
Katsuya quickly tried to track the message's origin, but he could not so he responded, "You are breaking the License User Agreement by using a hack to erase your profile picture and contacting an Operator without a problem. You will be located and given a 1 month temporary ban." He nodded to this and turned off his terminal, and pushed what the message had said into the back of his mind. He sighed a bit and collapsed on his bed, falling asleep shortly afterwards.  
  
Katsuya's Dream  
  
He stood there as Balmung, his sword drawn and his eyes set on something before him. It was a mirror. He slowly approached the mirror as if it were a monster he were about to slash, but as he looked in the mirror he saw a young woman. He could not depict her form or her face, and he squinted as if thinking that would help.  
  
"Do you...love me?" A sweet voice said, but it sounded on the brink of tears.  
  
A long pause took place after this, and Balmung wanted to speak. He wanted to say anything to drive away the long silence, but the mirror and the girl faded into darkness.  
  
End of Chapter 1.  
  
Who is this mystery girl Balmung is dreaming about? And who is the mysterious voice that haunts Balmung.  
  
Stay tuned for Chapter 2! R&R PLZ! =X K!? 


	2. Just a Rainy Day

Well, I hope you enjoyed Chapter 2. I'm planning to write three chapters then post them up on so if any of you guys R&R, THANKS! XD And some of the story will involve Balmung's real life, so you will become more emotionally attached to the character :P Yeah...anyway enjoy Chapter 2.  
  
Chapter 2: Just a Rainy Day  
  
Katsuya awoke to the loud sound of rain smacking against his window. He sighed a bit, looking at his clock and saw that it was six in the morning. He yawned a bit, stood from his bed and went into the bathroom to follow his routine.  
  
Katsuya was quite handsome, despite the large rimmed glasses. He was a young man of 21. His cheekbones were heavily set, and he was very tan and trim. He was wearing a simple white t-shirt and white sleep pants. White was his favorite color because he never liked the dark that much.  
  
After brushing his teeth and what not, Katsuya ate a few donuts and drank some milk at the small coffee table in the kitchen of his apartment. He sat there a few moments after eating; just watching the rain slam against the window, not even flinching as a loud clap of thunder erupted, shaking the walls slightly.  
  
He smiled as his cat, Skye, leapt into his lap and meowed softly, a bit scared from the thunder. The cat was dark brown with a few black patches, and it had piercing dark green eyes that Katsuya loved to stare into.  
  
"Scared of thunder still, Skye?" Katsuya said in a soothing tone, stroking his hand across the cat's head and back. The cat purred softly as if to say yes and Katsuya smiled and looked over at his terminal.  
  
"Gotta go to work, honey. I'll be back in a few hours," He said jokingly to the cat and gently lifted it off his lap and set it near its half empty food bowl. Katsuya made a mental note not to forget the cat's food.  
  
Katsuya stood and walked over to his computer, booting it up as well as the World. He slipped the visor on and logged in as Balmung.  
  
Welcome to the World, Lord Balmung  
  
Balmung appeared at the cliff where he originally was, and it was raining in the World as well.  
  
"Great," He muttered and quickly warped to town. (Can please someone tell me the names of the towns? If not I'll have to make up some names)  
  
He noticed the large town was almost deserted. There were a few players quickly running into taverns and resting areas to get out of the rain. Balmung calmly walked into the Silver Tavern, and he was a regular there. A few people greeted him with bows and "Good morning Lord Balmung." He simply acknowledged them with a nod or a fake smile. Why did he always have to be like a robot? He pushed this screaming question out of his mind and sat down at one of the tables, where a waitress NPC walked up to him.  
  
"May I give you a selection of drinks?" The waitress said in a too cheerful tone, which annoyed Balmung and before she could start even with the first drink he muttered, "Just give me a White Wist."  
  
The NPC looked a little shut down and simply frowned and turned, walking back over to the bar to get his drink. She returned a few moments later with a glass of white liquid, which had a strange blue tint to it.  
  
"Enjoy!" She said, seeming to have found her cheerful spark again, and he simply nodded and tilted the drink back, sipping it slightly.  
  
He heard a few loud voices and he glanced over towards the corner of the tavern near the entrance, setting his drink down.  
  
Balmung saw two Heavy Blades, and a young wave master gathered around a small, female Heavy Blade. The first three were male; the smaller one was female and looked very scared.  
  
He took note of her beauty, but only for a split second. She had bright silver hair with a slight pink tint to it, and a beautiful red rose was tied into her hair. Her eyes were a dark blue color that seemed to shine with the light of the tavern. She was not dressed as scantily as the other female Heavy Blades. She wore a dark blue cloak over her armor, and he found this quite peculiar. The young girl's face was tanned and very cute, and she had red face painting on her cheeks, or maybe that was blush?  
  
Balmung scowled a bit as he overheard their growing conversation.  
  
"Hey baby. You knew to the World? My buddies and I can show you the sights. If you know what I mean," The Heavy Blade on the right said, wrapping a large arm around the girl, who shook in fear.  
  
"N-No...please I just came in for a drink, "The girl said, her cheeks flushing red as the Wave Master smirked a bit, watching the two Heavy Blades grope on the girl with amusement.  
  
"Aw! Come on baby. Let's go!" The other man said and grabbed her arm, attempting to pull her from the chair, and he didn't have much difficulty doing it.  
  
"NO! PLEASE LET ME GO!" She screamed, and the three looked a little shocked she was screaming, but the tavern was almost deserted.  
  
"I think the girl said to let her go," Balmung said calmly, standing from the table and walking over to the three men and the girl.  
  
The three players looked horrified, while the girl looked amazed and relieved at the same time.  
  
"Player harassment is not allowed on the World. You will cease this action and leave this tavern, or I will temporarily ban all three of you," Balmung said in a calm, collected tone, and the three quickly left the tavern, tripping over each other.  
  
He watched them go and sighed a bit, "Disgusting." He suddenly noticed the girl had come very close to him, looking up at him with tearful eyes.  
  
"T-Thank you Lord Balmung!" She said, and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her head only reached chest high to him, along his collar bone, and he almost lost his composure when she did that.  
  
"Yes, you're welcome. Now if you will release me, I must be going," Balmung said, and the girl quickly released him and looked horrified.  
  
"But! Those guys will be looking for me! They've been harassing me ever since I started playing, and I want them to stop," The girl was almost crying now, and Balmung felt his heart twitch a little.  
  
He sighed, and said, "Look. Here's my member address. I'm sure those idiots won't bother you again in fear they may be banned. But if they bother you again, contact me. I will deal with it."  
  
Balmung gave her his address and didn't even finish his drink as he began walking out of the tavern. He had just reached the doorway when he heard the girl's voice again. She was obviously shocked from receiving an Operator's address.  
  
"Oh thank you Lord Balmung! I am Kera by the way! N-Nice to meet you!" She said, bowing deeply to Balmung, her cheeks flushing red a bit.  
  
Balmung acknowledged her thanks with a simple, "Hmm.." and he exited the tavern.  
  
"Kera.." Balmung said, thinking of her a moment. He sighed, ignoring his memory of her like he does all other personal matters and warped to an area to begin server maintenance.  
  
End of Chapter 2: Wah! What do you think yah? She's such a sweet girl. I designed her myself. Yep Yep. I got the name and personality from a girl I chat with. She's so sweet to me but very shy. Anyway! I hope you enjoyed it! 


	3. A Maintenance Gone Bad

Here's Chapter 3 folks. After this one I'm putting this story up on I hope you'll be nice and yet not too nice on your reviews. I am open to all criticism and compliments alike.  
  
Chapter 3: A Maintenance Gone Bad  
  
Balmung hated the area he had to do maintenance on today, which was Delta: Deserted, Abandoned, Wasteland.  
  
It was so dismal, dark, and dreary. Balmung always loved doing maintenance on colorful, bright places full of life. The wasteland was pretty much the opposite, and to make matters worse, it was raining here too.  
  
Balmung scanned the area for other players, and found only one party consisting of two wavemasters and a heavy blade.  
  
He warped to them, and saw they were just done killing a high level creature and they looked very surprised to see Lord Balmung.  
  
He stated what he had come for before they could start with the usual "Greetings Lord Balmung, how are you?" and he said in a sort of grumpy tone, "I'll have to ask you three to leave, I am going to be performing maintenance on this area. I apologize for the inconvenience." His tone was dull and his apology did not sound convincing at all, but the players left without a word.  
  
Balmung started exploring the area, looking for the smallest glitch or error in the programming, and he finally went deep into the dungeon. He decided to not stop the monster programs from running, and he drew his sword, coming up on a large ogre beast.  
  
The warrior easily dispatched the beast with a single blow, and he sighed. Even the highest level character would have trouble with the beast, and he took it down with no difficulty whatsoever. It still felt good, however, to kill a monster again, and he started dashing about the dungeon, cutting down monsters easily whenever they attacked him.  
  
He felt like his old self, searching the depths of the dungeon, opening treasure chests. He even laughed when an explosive trap treasure chest took away 1 HP from him.  
  
Balmung's fun was cut short, however, by a loud buzz that signified a player has entered the area.  
  
"What?" He thought to himself, and scanned the player. His screen glitched a bit and disfigured question marks were the only character's data. Balmung remembered he locked the area, so only a hacker could get in.  
  
He growled a bit and teleported to the character's location, and his eyes widened a bit.  
  
A deep hole in the air had formed, pouring from it shadow, complete shadow. Balmung could feel all happiness he had ever experienced flowing from his character's body as well as his own (Meaning his real world body)  
  
Balmung saw the entire area vibrate, long cracks running across the ground as he heard someone talking. He heard whispering all around him and he dropped to his knees.  
  
"MAKE IT STOP!" He screamed at the voices and the dark hole that seemed to continue with its dismal appearance for eternity. Balmung could feel the very essence of his sanity snapping as he faded into darkness. With the last strength he had, he drew his sword and lunged at the darkness before him, striking it with a vertical slice of power.  
  
The Real World  
  
Katsuya awoke lying flat on his back, the eye visor used to play in the World sitting on his desk as if he removed it and just fell backwards out of his chair. His head felt like someone had struck a mallet against it repeatedly and he groaned as he sat up.  
  
Skye meowed in concern, licking his face gently and he forced a fake smile to calm the cat.  
  
"What happened?" Katsuya asked himself, and he stood up and gazed at his black screen. He didn't remember turning his computer off. His eyes cautiously shifted to the visor. Curiosity got the best of him, and he turned his terminal back on. Katsuya slipped the visor back on and attempted to log in as Balmung.  
  
Error. The character Balmung does not exist. If you wish to register a character with the World please click here  
  
Katsuya shook his head, thinking he got his user name or password wrong and typed it in very carefully.  
  
Error. The character Balmung does not exist. If you wish to register a character with the World please click here  
  
Katsuya typed it in, careful with each letter, three times, and still the same effect.  
  
He sat in his chair for a few minutes, thinking of a solution and he decided to contact his friend, Takiya. Takiya worked high up in CC Corp, and she was actually the one who hired him.  
  
Katsuya dialed her number on his cell phone, and after a few annoying holds with horrible elevator music, and a few annoyingly cheerful secretaries, he managed to get a hold of Takiya.  
  
"Hey Taki. It's me, Katsuya. How are things?" He said, as if in a casual everyday mood and nothing was bothering him.  
  
There was a long pause, and Katsuya could hear Takiya sigh on the other end, "Hey. What's wrong? I know you're there," Katsuya said, resting his feet on the computer desk.  
  
"Katsuya. I'm very busy. Look, I know you're very unhappy about being fired from Server Operator of the World, but please. We had good reason to. Don't call me at work anymore," Takiya said, her usually cheerful tone now much more of a warning.  
  
"What are you talking about? I'm not fired. And speaking of the World, something very strange happened to-"He was cut off as someone with a deep voice asking Takiya for the phone. Katsuya recognized it as the vice president of CC Corporation, Narugata Shishime.  
  
"Look, Katsuya. Don't call here anymore or I will report you for harassing our company. We are very busy with what "you" caused," Narugata said in a cold tone, and before Katsuya could even defend himself, he hung up.  
  
Katsuya sat there, eyes widened. What did he do? He did nothing! He assured himself of this, and he thought back to what little memory he had of the event. He sat for what seemed like hours, going over every little detail and he threw his cell phone across the floor in frustration. He paused a moment and turned on his computer and noticed he had a message from Orca's older brother, Bear.  
  
It read as follows  
  
"I don't know why you did it. I don't know how you did it. But now my little brother is dead you bastard. Don't ever come on the World again, and don't ever try to call Orca's house or mine. I am the new Server Operator. I will ban you permanently if you even step foot into the World. Don't even respond to this message."  
  
Katsuya's fists tightened more and more in shock as well as anger as he read the message. "Jonathan is dead?!" He thought to himself, his entire body trembling. It couldn't be! How did he die? Questions burned into Katsuya's mind as his eyes shined with tears.  
  
Jonathan was his only true friend. He was the friend that always stood up for him in high school. He was the friend that helped him with girls he had crushes on. He was the friend who cared. Katsuya let out a slight sob and walked over to his cell phone, picking it up.  
  
He had to call Michael. (Bear) He needed answers. He quickly dialed the number and held it to his ear for a moment. He hung it up after about 8 rings and tossed the cell phone on his bed.  
  
If he could not get the answers in the real world. He would get them from The World.  
  
Katsuya sat down, slipping on the visor and started creating his new character.  
  
End of Chapter 3! What mysteries I have created! Haha. I want to make it so my pidgeons, I MEAN, readers will just have to know what happens next . I love you guys really! Anyway, Stay tuned for Chapter 4. 


	4. A New Life

Hi! I just woke up, so forgive me if Chapter 4 is a little bland.  
  
Chapter 4: A New Life  
  
Katsuya had finished creating his character and registering it within the World. It looked a lot like Balmung, save for the wings, the armor, and his hair was now black. The character, he named Katsuhiro, after his father.  
  
Katsuhito was a sort of samurai character. Katsuya had attempted to make him look that way anyway. He had a skin-tight long sleeved black shirt covering all of his upper body except his hands, head, and neck. On his right hand was a firm-grip gauntlet, allowing him to keep a very good grip on his sword in case a monster attempted a disarming attack. Tied loosely around his waist was a black belt with silver studs that also held his katana sheathe. Katsuhiro was wearing slightly baggy white pants with a black dragon running down the right pants leg, and to finish his apparel he had black boots with many silver buckles running down the side.  
  
"The recent upgrade to the character design sure has modernized a bit," Katsuhiro said, observing himself and getting a few grossed out looks by the players for doing so.  
  
He stood at the warp gate a moment, trying to figure out how he should unravel the mystery behind Orca's death.  
  
Katsuhiro couldn't think long, as a young girl walked up to him, and he recognized her as Kera, the girl he saved from the bar.  
  
"H-Hi," Kera said a little timidly, and Katsuhiro found he kind of liked her shy attitude. He could not converse with her much though, as he had work to do, but he didn't want to start off in the World as seeming rude to players.  
  
"Hi there, are you new to this game too?" Katsuhiro said, and he nearly laughed at himself. It was so strange to add that "too" to the end of the sentence, and yet it was exciting.  
  
Kera nodded, and replied, "I've been playing for a few days, but..." She trailed off, sighing a bit in dismay.  
  
Katsuhiro walked a bit closer to her, which caused her to tense up a bit. He wondered why she did that. Maybe she was still afraid of being close to other players because of those idiots that were harassing her the other day.  
  
"But what?" He said softly, trying to sooth her a bit to make her not so jumpy or stutter when she talked. He did not mind, but quite the contrary, he found it...cute.  
  
"Well, no one will party with me, because I am...a bit scared of the monsters," She said, and Katsuhiro knew when she said a bit, she was lying. He could always tell when someone was lying, and that's why he was such a successful Server Operator.  
  
Katsuhiro smiled down at her warmly, and she looked away, cheeks flushing red, and he responded, "Come on. You can party with me."  
  
The wastelands area he was planning on exploring, but it was a high level area. As long as they avoided monsters they would be ok. He might as well level up a bit though with his new character. He smiled at the thought of leveling up again and actually having difficulty with the monsters.  
  
He was so spaced out; he didn't even notice Kera grab his arm, looking up at him with the happiest face anyone has ever given him.  
  
"R-Really!?" She exclaimed, a wide smile crossing her lips as her eyes shined a bit.  
  
"Erm, yeah," Katsuhiro responded and pried her arms from around his. He thought a moment and said again, "I have to stop by somewhere first to meet a friend," He lied, and he prided himself on his conversational skills and convincing tones, but he never enjoyed lying.  
  
Kera nodded, "Oh wait! Let me get my friend! He's a Wave Master. We'll...need his healing powers right?" Kera said, hoping she was right so as not to embarrass herself.  
  
Katsuhiro smiled, as if just realizing this, "Yeah! That's a great idea! You can be our party leader," He said, and Kera looked very proud, and invited Katsuhiro to her party. He accepted and Kera contacted her friend.  
  
A young, male Wave Master appeared. He was dressed in dark purple rubes with black symbols covering them, and his staff was a dark cyan color. His hair was black, and his eyes were a dark green as well.  
  
"Hi Judias!" Kera said cheerfully, and the Wave Master Judias smiled at her.  
  
"Hi, Kera. How are you?" Judias said, giving her a soft hug. She smiled, blushing a bit but returned the hug.  
  
"I'm fine! Hey guess what, this guy wanted to join my party!" Kera said proudly and pointed at Katsuhiro.  
  
Judias quirked a slender black eyebrow and walked over to Katsuhiro, "Hi, I'm Judias, and you are?" He said, extending his hand to Katsuhiro.  
  
Katsuhiro smiled warmly and took his hand, "The name's Katsuhiro. I hope you don't mind if we warp to a high level area first to meet one of my friends? He is a high level so he can protect us," He said, hoping Judias would buy it like Kera did.  
  
Judias shook his head as Kera invited him to join the party. He accepted and smiled at Katsuhiro, "Nah, I don't mind. Let's make it quick though, ok? I wanna level up!" He said and Kera agreed with a loud and cheerful, "YEAH!"  
  
Katsuhiro obliged and the three players warped to Delta: Deserted, Abandoned, Wasteland.  
  
The three suddenly appeared back at the town and a message came up across their screens.  
  
We apologize for the inconvenience, but that area is protected and has been shut down for maintenance.   
  
"What happened?" Kera said, a little alarmed and Judias looked just as confused.  
  
"It seems the area has been shut down for some reason," Katsuhiro said to himself more than his two companions.  
  
Why would they shut down the area? There had to be something they were trying to hide, but what? These thoughts raced through Katsuhiro's mind as he started pacing back and forth in front of the Warp Gate like he always does when a problem arises.  
  
"Um, Katsuhiro? Are you ok?" He heard Judias say and he blinked, coming out of his thinking state.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine. Let's go to a low level area now, I'll contact my friend later," Katsuhiro responded and the two nodded.  
  
"I know of a place!" Kera said and smiled when the two agreed.  
  
She typed in the keywords Beta: Forgotten, Beautiful, Forest, and the three players warped to experience their first adventure!  
  
I'm planning on making this story long, so I'm not getting to the main wave of the story. I want you to get used to Balmung being Katsuhiro. There will be some surprises next chapter! Hehe. I'll just say they're involved with Kera, nothing more. 


	5. Shadow Balmung

Here is Chapter 5! Oo....No that's it. I have nothing witty to say today.  
  
Long Pause  
  
GET AWAY FROM ME YOU STARING FREAKS!!  
  
By the way, I found my intelligence so I'm putting more description into this chapter, but I may be too lazy to do it in the further ones: P "Maybe"  
  
Chapter 5: Shadow Balmung  
  
Katsuhiro loved the area Kera picked. The forest was lush, and very green. Trees were gathered together but did not smother the cascading rays of sun that seemed to add a heavenly brilliance to the surrounding forest. A solitary path continued for what seemed like forever, the soft dirt comfortable beneath his feet. Jaed seemed to also enjoy the brilliant aura flowing from the trees and the brisk wind that flowed through the branches and soft grass.  
  
"Hey, um...are you ok?" Kera asked, snapping a finger in Katsuhiro's face.  
  
Katsuhiro blinked a bit and looked down, smiling a bit at Kera, "I'm fine. Let's go shall we?" He said, looking over at Jaed, who nodded.  
  
The three adventurers took off down the path, not encountering any monsters but a few random treasure chests containing an occasional healing item, or a poison trap. Jaed was always ready with healing magic to negate the poison, or heal someone from an explosion trap.  
  
"We should have reached the dungeon by now," Jaed said, looking around carefully and he saw a thin layer of branches low to the ground covering a small pathway. "There!" He exclaimed, pointing to it and Katsuhiro smirked a bit.  
  
"I'll cut through it," He said, drawing his sword and he stepped forward, raising it slightly over his head to cut through the thick branches. Suddenly, a large sword sliced through them easily and he looked at Kera, a look of surprise on his face. She smiled sweetly at him, but there was a hint of confidence he hasn't seen of her yet. She walked past him and towards a large cave, its winding tunnel leading deep into the earth.  
  
Jaed simply smirked and walked past Katsuhiro, "She's only shy to people she doesn't know. She's really a little firecracker," He said, turning around to look at Katsuhiro.  
  
"What is your relationship to her?" Katsuhiro asked, just a tad curious of how Jaed knew her so well.  
  
Jaed's cheeks flushed a bit red and he turned away quickly to hide it, but Katsuhiro had already noticed. Jaed said a bit loudly, "She's just a friend is all," And he followed Kera into the tunnel.  
  
Katsuhiro smirked, "Just a friend eh?" He muttered and followed them into the cave, ready for his first adventure as a new player.  
  
Dungeon Level 1  
  
Katsuhiro looked around a bit as the tunnel opened into a large room with marble flooring. He had never seen a forest area with a temple dungeon. Torches with blue flames dotted the sides of the wall, and the door on the opposite end of the room suddenly was covered by a large stone slab. Three skeleton warriors and two archers appeared in the middle of the room, ready to fight.  
  
Katsuhiro readied his sword, as did Kera. Jaed stayed a distance away and started casting support spells on them such as Strength Up. Katsuhiro felt himself get slightly stronger and he dashed forward, closing the distance between himself and the monsters.  
  
Kera followed Katsuhiro closely, "I'll take care of the archers!" Kera said loudly and with a little excitement in her voice, also a trait Katsuhiro has yet to experience.  
  
"Alright!" He said to let her know he heard her and he finally reached the Skeleton Warriors. He delivered a horizontal slash to the neck of the one closest to him, which was on his right of him. The skeleton rose its sword but was knocked but slightly by the force, and Katsuhiro quickly lunged back to avoid the two swords thrusting at him from the other two skeletons.  
  
"Now this feels great!" Katsuhiro exclaimed, a smirk crossing his lips. Had he been Balmung, the skeletons would have been destroyed with one swoop of his sword. He felt like he was in high school again, practicing his fencing with Jonathan. Katsuhiro's fists clenched around his sword, thinking of Jonathan and he quickly pressed him out of his mind like a bad memory and charged forward to clash with the skeletons again.  
  
Kera deflected a few arrows by using the base side of her enormous sword. She closed in and one, and with one vertical slice of her sword, cut it completely in half. The bones crumbled to the ground and they faded away. Kera was so amazed she killed the skeleton so easily, she didn't see the arrow coming straight her shoulder. She let out a loud cry of pain, the arrow piercing her shoulder.  
  
Jaed quickly raised his staff, casting a healing spell on Kera, and the arrow vanished as well as her wound. He then aimed his rod at the skeleton and unleashed a small fireball into it, but it was powerful enough to destroy it.  
  
"Are you ok Kera?" Jaed said, quickly running over to her.  
  
"I'm fine, Jaed," She smiled warmly at him, and Jaed blushed slightly.  
  
Katsuhiro caught all three swords on his own, his heels digging into the ground as he was forced back. He quickly spun to the side, causing the skeletons to fall forward onto each other. Katshuiro seized this opportunity and struck all three skeletons in the back with a powerful blow from his blade. All three skeletons exploded, and the bones faded away.  
  
Katsuhiro smirked a bit, relishing the feeling of actually struggling during a battle, and he turned to smile broadly at his two companions.  
  
"What's wrong Katsuhiro?" Kera said, a little perplexed by his large grin.  
  
"Nothing, come on let's go. The door is open," Katsuhiro said, lifting an arm to point at the now revealed door.  
  
They walked over and opened the door quickly, and all that was there were creepy stone steps leading down into the darkness.  
  
"That looks kind of creepy," Jaed said, but with that he started walking down the steps, followed by Katsuhiro, and Kera, who stayed very close to Katsuhiro.  
  
Katsuhiro felt a little uncomfortable because of the small Heavy Blade nearly stepping on his heels. Actually, she would step on his heels every now and then.  
  
"OH SORRY!" Kera said rather loudly after the third time of stepping on his heels.  
  
"It's alright," Katsuhiro managed to say, sighing a bit. The stairs seemed to go on forever, and it had been five minutes of wandering through the darkness with only a small glow of Jaed's rod guiding them.  
  
Jaed suddenly stopped, pointing his rod at a closed door. He tapped the end of his rod against it roughly, and the entire staircase started rumbling a bit. Kera wrapped her arms quickly around Katsuhiro's waist and he blinked a bit, looking down at her.  
  
"What's wrong?" Katsuhiro said, gently prying her arms from around his waist.  
  
"Nothing, I just...don't like earthquakes," She said timidly, and even in the darkness Katsuhiro could tell she was blushing.  
  
He was about to ask why she didn't like earthquakes, but the low grinding of stone showed that the door was slowly opening. It finally opened all the way and light filled the seemingly endless tunnel they had been walking down. The room was much like the one they were in earlier, but it was much larger and in the middle of the room was an enormous circle with a red pentagram inside it. Katsuhiro had never seen anything like this in the game before, and he became very cautious, his eyes narrowing slightly. There were no doors either, so this must have been the end of the dungeon. This was very strange, as most dungeons were far longer than this, and had many more monsters, mazes, and treasures. He was rather disappointed, but his disappointment turned into fear when he saw his screen glitch slightly.  
  
"What was that?" Kera asked, and her sword rose to point at the pentagram.  
  
"The glitch across my screen?" Jaed asked, but she was obviously referring to something else.  
  
"No, I saw that too, but I just saw something appear then vanish next that star," She replied, her eyes glowing in fear.  
  
Katsuhiro was too preoccupied with the glitch across his screen to notice and he knew where this was going. "We need to get out of here! Now! Don't ask questions!" He yelled and drew a Sprite Ocarina. The escape item suddenly turned a dark black and shattered to pieces, and all three of the adventurer's eyes grew wide with shock.  
  
Katsuhiro noticed the door behind them was still open and he commanded his team members with such a forceful yell they obeyed without question, "GET OUT NOW!!"  
  
All three of the players ran towards the door, Kera making it first, and Jaed second. The door suddenly slammed shut just as Katsuhiro neared it and he growled, turning around swiftly.  
  
He expected to see the strange black portal that sucked so much life from him, but he did not. Instead, he saw Balmung. He saw his past character. He saw himself.  
  
This Balmung's face was much paler, and its eyes were cold and black. His hair was more of a grey than his beautiful silver, and it had black streaks running through it. His wings were black and tainted with blood, and his armor was colored to much the same fashion. Balmung's sword hilt wrapped around his entire arm like a tentacle, the hilt melded into his armor and skin like it was a part of him. A strange, powerful red aura emitted from the blade as a small evil smirk crossed the evil being's lips.  
  
Katsuhiro could only stare in disbelief, a long silence occurring between the two, and it appeared they were in a staring contest. Though Katsuhiro was silent, questions were screaming into his mind. Katsuhiro's questions were interrupted by the cold emotionless tone that seemed to even make the air shiver before him.  
  
"So this is the character you have created?" The Evil Balmung said, the smirk still evident on his lips, but his face and eyes took on a more business-like tone.  
  
"B-Balmung?!" Katsuhiro said in disbelief, not believing this was his character. No, it had to be someone playing a joke. It had to be some hacker creating a character that looked like him. But Balmung's character model could not be copied, even by the most advanced hackers.  
  
"Hah. You are Balmung you fool. Even though you have a different name and appearance, you will always be Balmung of the Azure Sky," He paused a moment as if waiting for Katsuhiro to respond, but seeing silence had struck him he continued, "I am Valmung of the Red Fury."  
  
Katsuhiro gripped his sword, raising it defensively as Valmung pointed his own towards him.  
  
"Are you ready to die, Balmung of the Azure Sky? Murderer of Orca, also known as Jonathan. Ex-Server Operator of the World. And, the cause of the World's destruction!" Valmung said all of these titles mockingly and Katsuhiro's rage swirled around him in an invisible aura of power.  
  
"YOU WILL PAY!!" Katsuhiro screamed and lunged towards his opponent, sword raised and ready to strike.  
  
End of Chapter 5. Who is this mysterious Valmung and how does he know of all that Balmung has done. Thank you for all the positive reviews! I also made this chapter much longer than the others. The next chapter is gonna be great! XD Hope you enjoyed it.  
  
Special Notes: Tasogare brought up some interesting points in her/his (Kitsune is a girl's name right?) review. This is a sort of timeline I invented myself, so I'm sorry if I'm insulting the series or anything, but I really needed to alter things to match the timeline. Sorry ;-; 


	6. The Red Fury

I would like to thank everyone for the positive reviews, especially Fighting Dreamer, who is my girlfriend Love yah babe.  
  
I believe I said I had a surprise in store for Chapter 6. I think...um..well I'm gonna give you a surprise anyway. ON with the fic! :D  
  
Chapter 6: The Red Fury  
  
"Damn it!" Jaed yelled in frustration, firing his fifth fireball spell down the stairs and into the door without much success. The fireball would explode into the door, looking as if it did some damage, but after the dust cleared and the wave master and Kera walked down to examine it, it wasn't scratched one bit.  
  
"What do we do?!" Kera cried, and her voice was full of concern and worry.  
  
"We have to get help. It was obviously a hacker. No one can just destroy a Sprite Ocarina," Jaed said in a calm voice, trying to also calm Kera down.  
  
Jaed admired Kera a brief moment despite the current situation. He couldn't help it. Ever since he met her he had been in love with her. Her eyes, her hair, her lips, her personality, all accounted into Kera, the only girl that was right for him.  
  
"Jaed!" Kera said, and Jaed snapped out of his stupor.  
  
"Sorry. I was trying to think of a way to get him out," He lied, and exhaled deeply, looking at the door.  
  
Kera also looked at the door, concern etched across her expression. Would he be ok? She wondered. She could not help but sense a familiar aura about Katsuhiro. It seemed so familiar, and she was attracted to it.  
  
Meanwhile...inside the room.  
  
Katsuhiro let out a low grunt, raising his sword and catching it on Valmung's. Valmung's sword engulfed Katsuhiro's own in a red aura and wrenched it from his grip. The evil being grabbed it in his free hand and leapt back, using his wings to push Katsuhiro into the wall roughly.  
  
Katsuhiro hit the wall with a loud yell of pain, a small imprint of his body crushing into the stone wall, a trail of blood flowing from his mouth as he fell to his knees. He was even more surprised when he, Katsuya, coughed out blood onto his computer desk, his entire body aching.  
  
Valmung tosses the sword in the air and stabbed his blade into it, and Katsuhiro's sword shattered to pieces.  
  
"It's all pathetic data, but you'll find what I can do is much more real," Valmung said, smirking at Katsuhiro's shocked reaction.  
  
"This has become more than just a game," Valmung said in almost pleased tone.  
  
Katsuhiro slowly got up, rage swelling inside him. Katsuya's fists tightened in the real world. This was personal now.  
  
"You bastard..." Katsuhiro muttered, fists tightening.  
  
Valmung acted as if he didn't hear him, but the evil hacker started walking towards Katsuhiro, his eyes set on the young Heavy Blade like a tiger about to pounce on its prey.  
  
Valmung stopped just out of Katsuhiro's attack range, and said in a cold tone, "Do not hate me Balmung. Hate yourself for what you did. You killed Orca, and there is no getting around it.  
  
"I DID NOT KILL HIM YOU BASTARD!!!" Katsuhiro screamed, his sounds echoing throughout the lair and a long silence ensued.  
  
Katsuhiro, only a split second after saying this, and he suddenly leapt up, swinging his legs backwards and planting them on the wall. He used this split second of defying gravity to propel himself forward and off the wall with his legs. He reared his fist back as he flew at impeccable speeds towards the shocked Valmung. Katsuhiro's fist connected with Valmung's jawline, a deafening crack of his jaw unhinging echoing as the blow sent Valmung skidding roughly across the marble flooring. Katsuhiro skidded a bit as well, landing on the ground roughly with a loud grunt of pain.  
  
The two warriors lie on the ground for only minutes. It seemed like hours to these two, pains searing through both their bodies. Katsuhiro was the first to stand, but his knees buckled beneath him and he could only assume a kneeling position.  
  
Valmung, however, quickly got to his feet, rage apparent in the man's eyes and face. He leapt forward, connecting the strong plated boot into Katsuhiro's ribcage. Katsuhiro yelled in pain, not only feeling one of his floating ribs crack on the game, but in the real world as well. He could barely maintain his sitting position in his seat and his hands shakily tried to remove his terminal, but as his fingers made contact, electricity surged through his body as if lightning struck him.  
  
Katsuya and Katsuhiro screamed in agony, curling up into a ball on the ground as Valmung watched, enjoying every second of the man's torment.  
  
"I told you this has become more than a game my friend. My hack into your system has connected the terminal's wiring to your brain waves. If you feel pain on here, your nerves think this is actually happening to your body and connects to your brain to deliver the painful feeling of whatever you experienced," Valmung explained as if pleased to mock Katsuhiro.  
  
(AN: Yeah kind of like the Matrix .)  
  
Katsuhiro groaned as he forced himself up, much to Valmung's hidden surprise.  
  
"Fool. Why do you stand?" Valmung says in disbelief.  
  
"Like...you said," Katsuhiro managed to grin, pausing a moment to let a sudden surge of pain pass. "This is more than a game. I will fight until I am dead. I will do whatever I can to prove that I am innocent. YOU KILLED JONATHAN!" Katsuhiro said, growling and pointing an accusing finger at Valmung.  
  
Valmung started laughing, his evil laugh causing Katsuhiro to flinch slightly.  
  
"Yes, and it's about time you figured it out. The dark portal you saw was only Orca trying to apologize after you did not respond to his mail. He tracked you down and wanted to apologize in person. I, however, intervened and blinded your sight with a simple illusion hack. I infected Orca's systems, and you sliced him in half. So, now he's dead because of you. And your character Balmung also passed out as well as your real world self, Katsuya. Orca's body lay down next to yours, your sword bathing in his blood," Valmung said, and as the story continued forward Katsuhiro's rage was building up like a volcano.  
  
"You...killed...him," Katsuhiro muttered, fists clenching so tight together his palms started bleeding.  
  
"As I said before, my dear Balmung. You belong to me," Valmung grinned, and suddenly he changed into the real Balmung character design.  
  
Katsuhiro's eyes widened in shock but he was unable to speak.  
  
"Yes, and with this character model. I can make everything look like your fault!" Valmung said, and he chuckled slightly, relishing in Katsuhiro's utter shock.  
  
Valmung twirled his sword, "Now. Say goodbye Katsuhiro. Say goodbye Katsuya!" Valmung yelled and dashed forward, sword raised, wings also flapping to add speed to his take off.  
  
Katsuhiro could only stand there, too weakened to do anything else. This was it. Valmung would kill him right here, and everyone would think the Evil Balmung was back. Hot tears of anger and regret flowed from his eyes.  
  
"I never avenged Jonathan...Forgive me my friend..." Katsuhiro sobbed, and extended both arms outwards, closing his eyes.  
  
"Let death come on swift wings..." Katsuhiro said, looking up at the ceiling as Valmung now reached him, raising his sword to stab it down into Katsuhiro's heart.  
  
End!  
  
What a cliffhanger boy :P! Will Katsuhiro perish under the sword of Valmung? Or will Jaed and Kera find a way to save him? Find out in Chapter 7: Redemption 


	7. Redemption

We last left Balmung at Valmung's mercy. Anyway, time to continue with the story. I hope you enjoy it   
  
Chapter 7: Redemption  
  
Katsuhiro was at death's doorsteps, eyes gazing ahead at the evil Valmung. It was only yesterday the worst thing he had to worry about was a character hacking an item, and now he was about to die. He could do nothing to stop Valmung, and his helplessness angered him to no end. The mounding swell of regret in his heart for Jonathan's life only seemed to make the pain worse, and he was actually thankful Valmung was going to give him a swift death.  
  
It never came, however. Katsuhiro heard the echo of blades clashing together and he snapped back to reality. Standing in front of him as if he had just appeared out of nowhere was Kite.  
  
Kite looked much different though. His hair was longer and came down to his lower back, but was a darker green. He was older and wore merely a long black trench coat with silver designs on it. His twin daggers' hilts wrapped around his arms like a snake, the material also melded into his skin like Valmung's. The daggers had an ominous golden glow to them, as Kite's set dark blue eyes gazed into Valmung's own cold black ones.  
  
"YOU!" Valmung growled, clenching his teeth and regaining his composure as Kite slashed both daggers outwards, sending Valmung skidding back. A wisp of powerful energy flowed from the daggers as he did this.  
  
Katsuhiro could only stare in awe. This was Kite, the boy who had saved the world two years ago and yet now he looked so cold. His eyes narrowed at Valmung slightly in pure hatred. This hatred scared even Katsuhiro for a moment but he only stood there, growling a bit from the pain.  
  
"Yes, me," Kite said, grinning suddenly in a cocky fashion.  
  
"I thought I dealt with you a long time ago boy!" Valmung spat, and unleashed a beam of red energy from his sword in Kite's direction.  
  
Kite's grin only seemed to widen in anticipation and with a downwards slice of both daggers, he sent the beams off into two different directions. One slammed into the sealed door, breaking it open. Kite then dashed forward and started clashing blades with Valmung, their weapons sending off sparks of energy all around them.  
  
Jaed's eyes widened in shock, looking down at the now clear passageway save for a few pieces of rubble.  
  
"What happened!?" Kera asked, shocked as well, but she ran into the room with Jaed following close behind her.  
  
The two companions took a moment to take in the scene before them. Katsuhiro was kneeled and bloody on the ground, and the two hackers battling heavily.  
  
Kera and Jaed ran over to Katsuhiro, and Jaed started showering him with healing spells.  
  
Katsuya and Katsuhiro felt their wounds heal completely, and he wished he could hug Jaed now for relieving him of such pain, but he did not.  
  
"Are you ok, Katsuhiro!?" Kera said, hands clasped over her mouth in shock. She was more worried about him than the two fighters.  
  
"I'm fine, Kera," Katsuhiro responded and turned his attention to Kite and Valmung.  
  
"What is going on Katsuhiro?" Jaed said, glaring at him a bit suspiciously.  
  
"Valmung and Kite are both hackers. Valmung is an evil hacker but Kite is a good hacker," Katsuhiro stated clearly. He didn't want to go into details, for his mind was racing with thoughts of the savior Kite.  
  
What could he be doing back here? He vanished after he saved the World, and how did he know I was in danger?  
  
"Kite? The Kite? The one that saved the World two years ago!?" Jaed exclaimed, eyes widening at the man who battled Valmung so valiantly.  
  
Kite stepped to the side swiftly, barely avoiding Valmung's vertical slice aimed at the top of his head. Valmung's sword stabbed into the ground and Kite stepped up onto the sword with both feet. He spun, his trench coat flowing in the wind and kicked Valmung in the face once, then twice, spinning in a circle again as he brought his daggers into his chest in much the same fashion. Valmung was sent skidding back, a bit of blood flowing from his chest as well from his nose.  
  
Kite leapt back, sheathing the dagger his right hand held and he aimed his outstretched fingers towards Valmung, "DATA DRAIN!" He yelled and the bracelet shot out, the spikes curving back like a shield around him.  
  
"Damn it. Another time maybe," Valmung cursed and vanished just before Kite could fire the data drain.  
  
Kite lowered his right arm while sheathing the other dagger, the bracelet vanishing as he turned and walked over to Katsuhiro and the others.  
  
"Are you three ok?" Kite said, more focused on Katsuhiro than anything.  
  
"Yes, we're fine," Jaed said, and Kera nodded slightly.  
  
"Kite, why have you come back? How did you know I was in trouble?" Katsuhiro said, and both Kera and Jaed looked at him strangely.  
  
"I was watching the entire time, I was just invisible. It's a pretty handy trick but it does use a lot of energy," Kite said, not answering the first question.  
  
Katsuhiro stepped forward, "You mean you know who I am as well?" He said and Kite smiled and nodded.  
  
"It's good to see you again, Balmung," Kite said and Kera gasped. Jaed just looked as if he'd seen a ghost.  
  
"Balmung!? That is impossible! He was banned from this server for killing Lord Orca!" Jaed said, regaining himself.  
  
"Wrong. That man you just saw was the one who killed Orca, and I have proof in this little sphere," Kite said and drew a dark glowing purple sphere from his trench coat pocket.  
  
"What is that?" Kera said, stepping forward to study it.  
  
"It is a Data Sphere. The World's version of a video camera. I recorded not only the conversation and Valmung's confession, but also his hacked character, so CC Corporation and everyone else will have no choice but to believe you are innocent Balmung," Kite replied, and slipped the sphere back into his trench coat pocket.  
  
"How can we believe that this is Balmung though?!" Jaed growled, still slightly suspicious to this man Kite.  
  
Kite smirked a bit, as if waiting for someone to ask that question and replied, "That's the fun part. You either believe it is him or you don't. It's not my problem. However, Balmung, you will have to get your character back if you wish to help me save the World."  
  
"How would I do that?" Katsuhiro said, folding his arms across his chest.  
  
"You and I will have to take on Valmung. If I can Data Drain his infinite hit points then we can destroy him. He carries the Virus Core: Redemption. That will bring you back to your original form," Kite responded, slipping his hands inside his trench coat pockets, and he started pacing back and forth. "However, I must prepare for the upcoming battle. I will contact you via e-mail with instructions. I want you to enjoy yourself in the World as well as in real life, Balmung."  
  
"But I..." Katsuhiro could not finish as Kite vanished as well.  
  
Katsuhiro sighed deeply and turned to his two companions. Kera smiled sympathetically at him, but Jaed just glared.  
  
"If you are Balmung then I will not converse or be near a hacker and a murderer!" Jaed shouted and drew a Sprite Ocarina. "Come on Kera," He said, grabbing her hand, but much to his surprise she pulled away.  
  
"I-I'm going to stay here with Katsuhiro," Kera said timidly, as if she has never stood up to Jaed before.  
  
Jaed looked slightly hurt but his anger won over it and he vanished.  
  
"You didn't have to, you know," Katsuhiro said, wondering why she would stay with him.  
  
Kera simply smiled and walked very close to him, perhaps too close.  
  
"I just wanted to be with you is all. I wanted to talk too," Kera replied and Katsuhiro smiled a little bit.  
  
"Well, let's exit the dungeon at least, we can talk while walking through the forest," Katsuhiro said, and used a Sprite Ocarina.  
  
After a few minutes of uncomfortably walking through the forest in silence, Katsuhiro found a small clearing. It had a tiny crystal clear pond and the grass was greener than any other part of the forest. Beautiful lilacs decorated some parts of the grass and he smiled at its beauty. He walked over and sat down in a patch of grass and Kera joined him.  
  
"So, what is your name in real life?" Kera finally said, curious about who he is.  
  
"Katsuya," Katsuhiro replied and smiled a bit, "And you?" He said after a slight pause.  
  
"Amy Ashkon," She said, and sighed a bit. "I know, Ashkon is a stupid last name."  
  
Katsuhiro shook his head a bit, "Nah. But it sounds American," He said and looked at her.  
  
She simply nodded and replied, "Yes, I live in California with my grandparents. My...father abandoned my mother and I, and she died in a car wreck."  
  
Kera sat very still, looking at the ground as tears started to flow to her eyes. You weren't supposed to be able to cry in the World were you? She didn't know, but she was crying in the real world.  
  
Katsuhiro frowned and he suddenly found himself wrapping an arm around Kera's shoulder.  
  
"It will be ok. I'm sure you're a strong woman," Katsuhiro said, trying to comfort her tears. It pained him to see her this way, but yet he was glad he could touch her. He was glad he could feel her, and be near her.  
  
"Heh, A woman? I'm only seventeen; I'm not considered a woman really..." Kera said, holding back tears as she blushed a bit from Katsuhiro putting his arm around her.  
  
"I'm twenty one, I'm an old geezer," Katsuhiro joked and he loved to see Kera laugh. Being around her made him feel very good. It made him feel happy.  
  
They talked about their interests, school, friends, and other things, minutes becoming hours and it was night before Kera had to leave.  
  
"Thanks for spending time with me Katsuya," Kera said and she suddenly leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips. The kiss only lasted a few seconds and it was mild, but to Katsuya it lasted an eternity.  
  
Kera blushed slightly and said timidly, "W-Well bye."  
  
She then logged off, and Katsuya never loved this game more.  
  
Love is in the air. Ah. Wee wee. Well, all has been revealed. Balmung must help save the World! Both worlds maybe haha! Anyway. Keep reviewing XD! 


	8. Goodbye

I haven't posted in a loooong time, but I decided to start back the story! AN: I DO NOT OWN ANY CHARACTERS OR ANYTHING RELATED TO .HACK Thank you

Chapter 8: Envy is Hate's Evil Little Cousin

Katsuya's eyes opened, but he was not in his room. He was in the room where he and Valmung fought, but it was much darker. The torches' flames were absent, and the area was freezing cold. He exhaled deeply, trying to calm himself, as his exhale produced a fine mist into the air. Katsuya looked around a moment, and noticed the only source of light was a glowing dark purple sphere. That was the same sphere Kite used to record Valmung's confession. The darkness of the area seemed to be suffocating him, a cold ominous presence in the air made him shiver a bit.

Katsuya walked over to the sphere, and had just reached out his index finger to touch it when he heard Skye meow from somewhere far away. He awakened from his dream and sat up, in his bed. He was wearing only a sleeveless white t-shirt and some checkered boxers. The young man sat up and yawned a bit, stroking the cat's back that was purring next to him.

"Amy..." Katsuya muttered, his thoughts now straying to the girl that kissed him last night. He touched his lips gently, wishing he could feel hers on his now. Katsuya glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to his bed and it said four in the morning. He groaned and collapsed back unto his bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

Amy shifted comfortably on her stomach, her eyes closed and a smile of happiness across her face. She was very pretty. She was a blossoming flower in its prime. Her dark brown hair was shoulder length and her bangs were parted to the sides. Her eyes were a dark hazel (If they were open . ) and her small frame also matched the physical form of her character Kera. She looked very frail, wearing only her undergarments but she was covered by the silk covers. Amy's body was slightly tan from going to the beach. (She lives in California) so much, and her face was very cute and innocent looking. Her cheeks always seemed to have the most color of tan.

Amy's room was very decorative. Posters of such bands as Lost Prophets and Linkin Park were lining the walls, and her room was quite a mess with clothes, magazines, and jewelry. In the corner of her room was a large entertainment center sporting a few video game consoles such as XBOX and PS2. Her computer screen was a bright white, providing the light in the room as she was scared of the dark.

"Katsuya," Amy moaned a bit in her sleep, hugging her pillow close to her and nestling her head against it.

**Meanwhile...on the World**

Kite was leaning against the wall in a small tavern, his eyes closed and his arms folded across his chest. Only two lovers were in the tavern at this time of the morning, and it did not bother him one bit, even when they started making out.

Kite opened his eyes, the dark blue orbs glowing in the hanging lanterns of the tavern, "It's time," He muttered and vanished, much to the surprise of the couple.

**4 hours later**

Katsuya yawned and sat upright in his bed, gazing ahead a bit lazily. He climbed out of bed, mumbling about never getting enough sleep and he performed his usual morning routine of , eating some cereal, brushing his teeth, taking a shower, slipping some black sleep pants on, and plopping down in front of his computer. He turned it on and saw two messages.

The first one was from Kite, who simply wrote.

"Get ready."

He smirked a bit, and replied, "I am ready; just let me know where and when." He sent it and let out a deep sigh, leaning back in his chair.

Katsuya checked the other and it was from Jaed, who he hadn't heard from since the incident.

"You stay away from Kera, you hear me? She's mine."

Katsuya growled, "How childish, what is he ten?" He said and deleted the message.

Katsuya smiled when he saw that Kera was on the world, and so he logged in to see her.

**Welcome to the World Katsuhiro**

Katsuhiro noticed it wasn't very crowded this morning in Mac Anu. He had only come here to meet Kera, and to tell her where he was going with Kite. It wasn't going to be easy, he thought, thinking she would probably beg him to come. He could not allow that, however, and he would have to be stern yet gentle.

(AN: The two still call each other by their player names. I wanted to avoid confusion)

"Katsuhiro!" He heard Kera call his name and he turned to see her waving at him, a broad smile of happiness etched across her lips. Her cloak was missing, and Katsuhiro nearly fainted from the girl's beauty. He had seen female Heavy Blades before, but there was something about Kera's tanned, small yet strong body (She's been training ). Each delicate curve was perfect in Katsuhiro's eyes. Her chest armor was a dark blue with silver designs on it, which matched her eyes perfectly. Kera's leg armor trailed down slightly longer than a normal Heavy Blade's, and it was a lighter blue and the red battle scarf matched the rose in her hair.

"Hey Kera!" Katsuhiro said excitedly, and he knew he had never acted like this towards anyone else. He decided not to dwell too much on the reasons why, he already knew them far too well. Katsuhiro ran over to her and embraced her, following up with a short kiss on the lips, but the kiss was a little half-hearted, and Kera could tell.

"Katsuhiro? What's wrong?" Kera said, concern etched along her features, which pained Katsuhiro even more.

"Kera...I am going to be heading to a very dangerous area with Kite, the man that saved us from Valmung. I am going to be fighting some very powerful enemies that can harm me in the real world as in here. I want you to log off the World until I contact you and if I don't, uninstall the World and continue living a happy life," He said in almost one breath, now afraid of her reaction.

Kera stood motionless for a while, her expression changing from concern to shock and confusion with a hint of sadness, "But...Katsuya..I don't want you to go," She said, and Katsuhiro knew she was truly concerned when she said his real name.

"Amy...it is something I must do to defend the World and its players, and Kite is going to help me to save it. I am doing this for you and everyone else, please trust me, "Katsuhiro responded, looking into her eyes, his own tearing up slightly.

Kera smiled, it was difficult, yes, but she knew it had to be done and she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him for five long and passionate minutes. She broke the kiss and blushed a bit as she stepped away, "I really like you...Katsuhiro," She said and then smiled cheerfully at him, "And I will wait for you, no matter how long it takes," She added.

Katsuhiro smiled, overjoyed that she understood and wrapped his arms around her, "I'll be back before you know it, Kera," He said, kissing her neck gently as he then pulled away and smiled, "Goodbye..." He said and vanished.

"Goodbye...Katsuya," She said, wiping tears from her cheeks.

She then slowly walked away as a dark shadow lingered nearby, two familiar blood red eyes gazing at Kera as he grinned, "The Azure Sky has a weakness after all..." The shadow muttered in a deep voice and vanished as well.

Looks like someone knows about Katsuhiro and Kera, and that someone is up to no good! Xx

I still got my fan fiction writing skills, yay! R & R


End file.
